Love Me Anyway

Chapter Twenty-Four

Maya

I heard Carina scream, and I quickly sat up in bed.
"Carina! Baby!" I grabbed a over sized t-shirt, and pulled it over my head as I ran out of the room.

"Rina!?" I called out as I searched the living room and hallway.
"In the kitchen Maya." Andy called.

I rushed in and saw my wife breathing hard with tears running down her face.
"Baby, look at me. Breathe. What's wrong?" I held her hands and placed them on my chest. She always did that to me when I used to have panic attacks.

"A-Andrea." Carina choked out.

I looked up for the first time and saw him standing by the back door. He looked just like the pictures that Carina had showed me, just a little older.
"I don't understand. I-I thought-"

"Carina, do you want us to stay? We can go if you want privacy." Andy asked.
"S-Stay. Please." Carina practically begged.
"Andy, will you get her some water please."
Andy nodded and walked to the sink.

"I don't understand. You died. I saw you die." Carina whispered to him.

(Everything in Italian will be italics because it's 4 am and I'm tired of google translate🙃)

"I'm sorry. I had to. I had to leave." Andrea said.
"You left me. You had me believe you were dead. How could you! We're two halves, one whole!" Carina shouted as she stood from her chair.

"Whoa, no baby. You need to stay sitting down. I don't want you getting too worked up. It's not good for the babies." I gently sat her back down in the chair.

"Carina, they were going to kill everyone I cared about. The sex traffickers- I had to. Please, I'm sorry. I wanted to come back every day. I just couldn't risk you getting hurt."
"It's my job as your big sister to protect you. Not the other way around. Andrea, you don't know what you 'dying' did to me. I hated myself." Carina had tears falling from her face. Honestly everyone in the room did, even if only half of us could speak Italian.

"Carina," I knelt down next to my wife. "You told me when my Mom came back into my life, that you wish you could have a second chance with your brother. You're getting your wish. Take it baby."

Carina grabbed my hand and I helped her stand up. She made her way to Andrew and wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a hug.

Vic let out a loud sob and Andy instantly wrapped her arms around her wife.
"I-I'm sorry. I don't know what you all said but it was beautiful." Vic cried.
"I've missed you, baby brother."
"And I missed you big sis."

"Andrea. This is my wife. Maya." Carina held her hand out and I walked to her.
"Carina has told me a lot about you. I'm glad she gets to have you back in her life." I hugged my new found brother-in-law while Vic let out another sob.
"I'm sorry! It's the hormones!" She sniffled.
"Why don't you two go sleep in the spare bedroom in the basement so you don't have to drive home." I suggested.

Andy hugged us all goodnight, and led a crying Vic to the basement.
"I'm gonna head home. Ziva was worried but she has to work early in the morning." Mason hugged us all, and shook Andrea's hand.
"I'm going to go to my room. Let me know if you all need anything." My mom gave us a wave and walked out, leaving the three of us alone.
"Amore, do you want some tea?" I asked.
"Sì. Grazie bambina." Carina squeezed my hand.
"Andrea?"
"Sì. Grazie."

Andrea helped Carina to the kitchen table as I went to make tea for everyone.
"Tell me everything. What have I missed?" He asked.
"I moved away after you 'died'. I moved to a little island and stayed there for a while running a hotel. Maya came there on vacation, and it was love at first sight. She came back home, and I couldn't live without her. So I sold the hotel to Koracick, and gave majority of the money to the island."
"And? What else. How did Maya propose?"
"There's a little bit of stuff before that. Uh, we have a sister. Well, kind of."
"A sister? What do you mean kind of?" Andrea asked as I set down their cups of tea.
"Papa had a daughter with another woman. Her Mamma had cancer, and sent Caterina to live with us. That was a shock to me too." Carina unlocked her phone and showed her the pictures of Caterina.